"I want to thank you all for coming. I want to thank Chairman Brady and the Ways and Means Committee for hosting us here. I had the privilege of joining this committee my second term in Congress. It’s the perfect setting for what I want to talk with you about today. Because it is here, in this committee, that we debate some of the biggest, most consequential issues. Our tax code, health care, trade, entitlement programs, welfare reform. It’s a big deal to be on this committee. And understanding the privilege and the responsibility that came along with it, we took our job seriously. (Yes...you debate...key word there...DEBATE..you guys talk and talk and talk and then you cave while patting yourself on the back for not giving the left all of what they wanted...just some. And yes, you are correct...It's a big deal not really to the committee you are so "privileged" to serve on but to the commoners who are being crushed from the results of your "consequential debates")
"And we always held ourselves to a higher standard of decorum. We treated each other with respect. We disagreed—often fiercely so—but we disagreed without being disagreeable. I speak of this in the past tense only because I no longer serve here. But it almost sounds like I’m speaking of another time, doesn’t it? It sounds like a scene unfamiliar to your generation. (Yep you guys held yourselves to a higher standard of decorum. I'll give you that but while you guys "treated each other with respect" and "were able to disagree without being disagreeable" you were selling out the commoners to your highest bidder...the Chamber of Commerce. You sold out American workers for foreign workers because as you say...there are just some jobs Americans won't do or my personal favorite "there's a shortage of qualified Americans for high tech jobs"...hmmmm I think Disney laid off tech workers who had to train their replacements might disagree with that but I digress...Yes, you held yourselves to a higher standard while screwing the people who elected you. Kudos...that takes a lot of guts!)
"Looking around at what’s taking place in politics today, it is easy to get disheartened. How many of you find yourself just shaking your head at what you see from both sides? You know, I see myself in each of you. I came here as a curious college intern. Trying to get a sense of everything. Trying to figure out where to take my life. I would always ask older, more experienced people: what do you know that you wished you knew when you were my age? (You ain't kiddin "it's easy to get disheartened". I do find myself shaking my head at what I see from both sides. The left because their policies are bankrupting our country and the right because you "debate" and compromise enough to let them. You might see yourself in those interns you are speaking to but you can't possibly see yourself in the common man...the forgotten man...because you live in a bubble of elitism that won't even allow you to see that you emperors have no clothes.)
"My dad used to say, if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem. So I have made it a mission of my Speakership to raise our gaze and aim for a brighter horizon. Instead of talking about what politics is today, I want to talk about what politics can be. I want to talk about what our country can be…about what our Founders envisioned it to be. America is the only nation founded an idea—not an identity. That idea is the notion that the condition of your birth does not determine the outcome of your life. Our rights are natural. They come from God, not government. (You might need to reread that paragraph because that is totally meant for YOU GUYS. You aren't part of the problem...I'll give you that...YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!!! Your Speakerhship is on a titanic voyage headed for civilian life. Good luck with that. You want to talk not "about what politics is today but what politics can be" ??? Me too and what your politics can be tomorrow is ERIC CANTOR! "America is the only nation founded on an idea—not an identity. That idea is the notion that the condition of your birth does not determine the outcome of your life" Tell that to an outsider trying to run for president...or any other GOP position the GOP thinks belongs to THEM. You are correct our "rights come from GOD, not government"...now repeat that and actually take it in...)
"While it was a beautiful idea, it had never been tried before. Early on, as our founders struggled to establish a suitable order, they decided that we would not maintain this idea by force. In the first Federalist paper, Alexander Hamilton wrote that “in politics,” it is “absurd to aim at making” converts “by fire and sword.” Instead, we would govern ourselves, with the people’s consent. Again, there was no manual for how to do this. That’s why they call it the American experiment. (Yes it was a beautiful idea until you and your elitist cohorts decided to rule over us rather than govern with the consent of the governed. We take some responsibility for abdicating most of our power to you and you guys just ran with it but we are in the process of reclaiming our rightful place at the helm of the ship. We will be calling/emailing and pretty much being a thorn in your elitist side and we shall right the ship in November. May your days in Congress be numbered and your legislative successes be few for the sake of the "American Experiment)
"So they made each other—and those who came after—take an oath to uphold the Constitution. And every generation since has inherited this responsibility. Leaders with different visions and ideas have come and gone; parties have risen and fallen; majorities and White Houses won and lost. But the way we govern endures: through debate, not disorder. This is one thing about our country that makes it the greatest on earth. (Ummmm small problem here...that "oath to uphold the Constitution" bit??? Have you heard of TPP, NDAA, the unconstitutional FED that is stealing our wealth, illegal immigrants who will vote for socialism, H1/2 B Visas that are displacing American workers, YOUR federal budget compromises that pay for so many unconstitutional things I don't have enough room to list here, etc. the list goes on...."The way we govern endures through debate" ??? That's how YOU govern while stealing from our posterity to save your rear ends now. As long as your civil about it...everything's A-OK!. Well your social schedule will be magnificent. The common mans future...not so much)
"I must admit, I didn’t always find this idea so exciting…As I said, I came to Washington unsure of what I was going to do with my life. And then I ended up working for a guy named Jack Kemp. Jack once played quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. He went on to represent the people of Western New York in the House in the 1970s and 80s. He served in the Cabinet under President George H.W. Bush. And, like me, he was once our party’s nominee for vice president. (Yes, and like you, Jack Kemp was on a losing ticket...so there's that...you didn't mention that. Bob Dole and Jack Kemp...not exciting. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan..not exciting so congrats ...Americans are not excited)
"But I first met Jack exactly where you’d expect…at Tortilla Coast. It’s true…I was waiting on his table. I didn’t bother him that day, but I told a friend I’d love to have the chance to work for him. And, as luck would have it, such an opening soon arose. The thing about Jack was, he was an optimist all the way. He refused to accept that any part of America–or the American Idea–could be written off. Here was a conservative willing—no, eager—to go to America’s bleakest communities and talk about how free enterprise could lift people out of poverty. These were areas that hadn’t seen a Republican leader come through in years, if ever. (Well, like Jack Kemp...I am also an optimist. I believe too that the "American Idea" can not be "written off" but hopefully with some hard work and citizen activism your future in the Congress will be written off in November.)
"I had the chance to accompany Jack on some of these visits. I saw how people took to him. I saw how he listened, and took new lessons from each experience. He found common cause with poverty fighters on the ground. Instead of a sense of drift, I began to feel a sense of purpose. Jack inspired me to devote my professional life to public policy. It became a vocation. ("Poverty fighters"...more like poverty pimps...interesting...how do you fight poverty when you are loading our country's future generations with trillions debt? So Jack inspired you to devote your professional life to public policy? Well, you've done enough damage. Seriously now, move along and stop patting yourself on the back. You have not been nearly as great as you seem to think you have been.)
"Ideas, passionately promoted and put to the test—that’s what politics can be.That’s what our country can be. It can be a confident America, where we have a basic faith in politics and leaders. It can be a place where we’ve earned that faith. All of us as leaders can hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and decency. Instead of playing to your anxieties, we can appeal to your aspirations. Instead of playing the identity politics of “our base” and “their base,” we unite people around ideas and principles. And instead of being timid, we go bold. ("You see that's the thing..."ideas passionately promoted is what politics can be"...well instead of passionately promoting....how about passionately doing. It's the doing we have a problem with. You know...like George Washington said..."Deeds, NOT WORDS!. We can have a basic faith in politics and leaders but that faith...unlike our faith in God which needs only faith...needs results to maintain it. You can hold yourselves to the highest of standards all you want...as long as you say one thing to get elected and do whatever your crony capitalists bosses tell you to do we will have NO FAITH in you whether or not you play to our anxieties or not. And funny since you mentioned the base...didn't you guys spend 150 million on YOUR guy who was going to win WITHOUT THE BASE? "Unite people around ideas and principles" ??? No thanks, we pass...we've been there and done that and bought the tshirt...the only thing you guys unite is support for Donald Trump because we think it will be the political earthquake that will usher in the potential to reform YOUR party and return it to the people.)
"We don’t resort to scaring you, we dare to inspire you. We don’t just oppose someone or something. We propose a clear and compelling alternative. And when we do that, we don’t just win the argument. We don’t just win your support. We win your enthusiasm. We win hearts and minds. We win a mandate to do what needs to be done to protect the American Idea. (No you don't resort to scaring us you just suck the life out of us while daring to inspire us. And yes you don't just oppose someone or something, you "propose a clear and compelling alternative...yes YOU PROPOSE...THAT'S PRECISELY THE PROBLEM...After you "propose a clear and compelling alternative" you will promptly compromise ANY "clear and compelling alternative" until it's anything but "clear and compelling". Well perhaps in the past you won hearts and minds and our enthusiasm but guess what...fool me once shame on you...fool me 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, and again and again and again shame on me. That's where we are ...shame on me and we don't want to play this game anymore. You have won yourself a clear and compelling mandate shut the he$$ up and save your lectures for the snobs in your inner circle.We have work to do and no time to listen to relics from the GOP)
"In a confident America, we also have a basic faith in one another. We question each other’s ideas—vigorously—but we don’t question each other’s motives. If someone has a bad idea, we don’t think they’re a bad person. We just think they have a bad idea. People with different ideas are not traitors. They are not our enemies. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, our fellow citizens. Sometimes they’re our friends. Sometimes they’re even our own flesh and blood, right? We all know someone we love who disagrees with us politically, or votes differently. (We don't question each others motives? You mean you guys aren't used to having your motives questioned. Well, I question your motives when you do the bidding for your crony capitalist enablers from the Chamber of Communism. Paul Ryan says people with different ideas are not traitors so I have a question. Why do you treat them like traitors? Why do you bend over backwards to smear their good names (Chris McDaniel) to ensure they don't make it into your good ol boys club? Yeah you speak with forked tongue so spare me...)
"But in a confident America, we aren’t afraid to disagree with each other. We don’t lock ourselves in an echo chamber, where we take comfort in the dogmas and opinions we already hold. We don’t shut down on people—and we don’t shut people down. If someone has a bad idea, we tell them why our idea is better. We don’t insult them into agreeing with us. We try to persuade them. We test their assumptions. And while we’re at it, we test our own assumptions too. (OMG! Where to start on this one. I'll just keep this simple...WE KNOW YOU AREN'T AFRAID TO DISAGREE WITH US...YOU ARE SIMPLY AFRAID TO DISAGREE WITH OBAMA AND PRETTY MUCH ANY LEFTIST THIS SIDE OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. You don't shut people down??? No...only your own base and I guess you don't think us worthy of even mentioning that. You won't shut Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid down but anyone associated with the tea party will be tarred and feathered and hounded by the IRS while you pretend to care. You test your own assumptions??? Bwahahaha...Paul...you're such a comedian!)
"I’m certainly not going to stand here and tell you I have always met this standard. There was a time when I would talk about a difference between “makers” and “takers” in our country, referring to people who accepted government benefits. But as I spent more time listening, and really learning the root causes of poverty, I realized I was wrong. “Takers” wasn’t how to refer to a single mom stuck in a poverty trap, just trying to take care of her family. Most people don't want to be dependent. And to label a whole group of Americans that way was wrong. I shouldn’t castigate a large group of Americans to make a point. ( Yes I commend you on your epiphany but I would like to add...you sir and your cohorts in Congress are what I would describe as "takers")
"So I stopped thinking about it that way—and talking about it that way. But I didn’t come out and say all this to be politically correct. I was just wrong. And of course, there are still going to be times when I say things I wish I hadn’t. There are still going to be times when I follow the wrong impulse. ("I was just wrong" !!!! Ding Ding Ding we have a winner. Truer words were never spoken. Keep following that impulse all the way to Eric Cantor's house so you can stop thinking all together and save America from your sel-important selves.)
"Governing ourselves was never meant to be easy. This has always been a tough business. And when passions flair, ugliness is sometimes inevitable. But we shouldn’t accept ugliness as the norm. We should demand better from ourselves and from one another. We should think about the great leaders that have bestowed upon us the opportunity to live the American Idea. We should honor their legacy. We should build that more confident America. (Yes! I agree! We shouldn't "accept ugliness as the normal and demand better from ourselves and from one another" and so we are starting with YOU. Just because your polite and civil while legislating our wealth away doesn't mean we have to accept your ugly lipstick on a crony capitalist pig. I agree we "should think about the great leaders that have bestowed upon us the opportunity to live the American Idea...which YOU GUYS have almost killed. How arrogant to think you might put yourself and your cohorts in theater in the same realm as some our our great leaders. We will build a more confident America...one Cantorized politician at a time!)
"This, as much as anything, is what makes me an optimist. It is knowing that ideas can inspire a country and help people. Long before I worked for him, Jack Kemp had a tax plan that he was incredibly passionate about. He wasn’t even on the Ways and Means Committee and Republicans were deep in the minority back then. So the odds of it going anywhere seemed awfully low. But he was like a dog with a bone. He took that plan to any audience he could get in front of. He pushed it so hard that he eventually inspired our party’s nominee for president—Ronald Reagan—to adopt it as his own. And in 1981 the Kemp-Roth bill was signed into law, lowering tax rates, spurring growth, and putting millions of Americans back to work. (Wow so you have to go to back to the years of Reagan to talk about ideas that have inspired you. Too bad YOUR gang of compromisers couldn't pass anything worthy of inspiration. Anytime we get someone remotely Reagan-esque you guys tear him to pieces before he gets anywhere near higher office so please...seriously stop mentioning Reagan while your cramming rhino sandwiches down our throats.)
"All it took was someone willing to put policy on paper and promote it passionately. This is the basic concept behind the policy agenda that House Republicans are building right now. As leaders, we have an obligation to put our best ideas forward—no matter the consequences. With so much at stake, the American people deserve a clear picture of what we believe. Personalities come and go, but principles endure. Ideas endure, ready to inspire generations yet to be born. (With all due respect sir...we know what your ideas are and how little effort you will put forth to promote them. We have a clear picture of what you believe...which why Trump is winning the day. It's not so much about Trump as it is about your principles...or lack thereof.)
"That’s the thing about politics. We think of it in terms of this vote or that election. But it can be so much more than that. Politics can be a battle of ideas, not insults. It can be about solutions. It can be about making a difference. It can be about always striving to do better. That’s what it can be and what it should be. This is the system our Founders envisioned. It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s infuriating at times. And it’s a beautiful thing too. Thank you all for being here today." (This last point of yours is very telling. You guys think in terms of this vote or that election and that politics can be a battle of ideas???...We are about to lose our country...we aren't thinking in those terms anymore. And just a hat tip...THIS IS NOT THE SYSTEM OUR FOUNDERS ENVISIONED. But with a few good men/women and divine intervention...we will return it to the system our Founders envisioned.)
P.S. I'm sure the Chamber of Crony Capitalism has a great job waiting for you in the "private sector" working along side your boy Eric Cantor so...your services here are no longer needed.